Bryce Canyon NP -- Bryce Amphitheater Loop (4-20-17)

“There are some places so beautiful they can make a grown man break down and weep.”-- Edward Abbey

Bryce Canyon National Park is one of those rare places where the beauty of nature takes a form so incredibly fantastic, beautiful, and unique that a person like me struggles to arrange adequate words to describe it. Here, in the high desert country of central Utah, is a masterpiece of stone. Spilling from the edges of a massive evergreen-topped mesa a kaleidoscopic red and orange landscape of sandstone hoodoos, fins, and natural bridges creates a vista unmatched among National Parks. It is a landscape that has been formed over the eons by countless cycles of rain, freeze, and thaw as relatively soft sedimentary rock which underlies the surrounding high mesa is slowly broken down. In the process a myriad of natural stone sculptures are formed, made all the more dramatic by certain minerals (hematite, lemonite, pyrolusite) which color them in reds, yellows, and purples. Bryce Canyon is a magical place like no other...and this was our brief opportunity to discover it.

Bryce Canyon National Park encompasses and protects some 36,000-acres (56 sq. mi.) of the high Colorado Plateau. Located roughly midway between Zion National Park to the southwest and Capitol Reef National Park to the northeast, Bryce Canyon is remote but nonetheless draws well over 2 million visitors a year to see its wonders. The park itself was formed in 1923 as a National Monument but soon after, in 1928, it was promoted to National Park status. A single paved road, built by the CCC in the 1930's, runs eighteen miles through the heart of the park and provides access to most of the major natural attractions. The most iconic portion of the park, known as the Bryce Amphitheater, is located just a few miles from the main entrance. If you've seen a painting, poster, or mural of Bryce Canyon the amphitheater is likely what you're looking at. It was into this magnificent maze of hoodoos and cliffs that we would be wandering on this amazing day.

Our hike would begin from the overlook of the amphitheater known as Sunset Point. This is perhaps the classic Bryce Canyon hike so it can definitely be a busy one, as it was on our visit. From the overlook we'd descend from the mesa's rim and enter among the rock spires and canyons of the Navajo Loop Trail. We'd pass by such famous formations as 'Thor's Hammer' and the 'Twin Bridges' as we gradually made our way to the forested river valley below. Once beneath the cliffs we'd head north following the Queen's Garden Trail, named for yet another portion of the magnificent Bryce Amphitheater where arguably the most colorful and dramatic formations are located. The Queen's Garden Trail climbs gradually to moderately for most of its length as it winds beneath, around, and even through sandstone pinnacles of every shape, size, and color. The senses are simply overwhelmed here. There's nothing like it anywhere and your mind simply has no reference to help comprehend what its seeing. If you're like us, you'll walk this hike in a mixed state of wonder and awe. Eventually the trail regains the rim of the mesa at Sunrise Point, about a half mile south by trail from Sunset Point where the loop begins. The walk between the points to close the loop is every bit as spectacular as what comes before as you are treated to open panoramic views of the entire amphitheater spread out below. All I can say is I hope you have your camera fully charged if you decide to head out on this little hike.

So, without further adieu, I present to you one of the most uniquely beautiful short day-hikes I have ever done. If you have a life-list of hikes, this one should be on it. I could probably go on gushing about it for another dozen paragraphs but I'll just let the pictures do the talking for me. As always, please enjoy...I hope this humble album can at least give a taste of what Bryce Canyon National Park has to offer...

Bryce Canyon NP -- Bryce Amphitheater Loop (4-20-17)

Our route as tracked by the Gaia GPS app and depicted a la Google Earth...

Bryce Amphitheater Loop Route Map

Our route as tracked by the Gaia GPS app

Sunset Point Trailhead -- 8,000'

Our hike began at the parking area for Sunset Point. Despite the early hour it was already a busy spot...we were about to find out why...

Sunset Point -- 8,000'

Stepping out atop Sunset Point our senses were immediately overwhelmed. The beauty of what lay in front of us was quite simply beyond what our imaginations could have comprehended...

Sunset Point -- 8,000'

Looking down among the hoodoo country beneath Sunset Point. We hadn't set a step on a trail yet and already we were absolutely in love...

Sunset Point -- 8,000'

The colorful and otherworldly landscape continued to the south from where we stood atop Sunset Point...

Sunset Point -- 8,000'

The panorama looking south from Sunset Point...

Navajo Loop Trail -- 8,000'

By this point we were absolutely salivating at the opportunity to journey down into the landscape we were seeing. We'd begin our hike on the Navajo Loop Trail...

Navajo Loop Trail -- 7,980'

Countless rock spires, known as hoodoo's, sprout from the cliffside below us as we set out...

Navajo Loop Trail -- 7,960'

Shortly after setting out the trail comes to a split where the Navajo Loop divides. The right split, which leads down to the famous 'Wall Street' canyon, was unfortunately closed. Winter takes a toll on the fragile hillsides at Bryce and each spring trails need to be rebuilt. Being so early in the season trail crews hadn't yet restored this very steep trail to a condition safe for travel...

Navajo Loop Trail -- 7,960'

From the closure point we could just see the dark entrance to Wall Street canyon far below....

Navajo Loop Trail -- 7,900'

We would instead be descending via the eastern half of the Navajo Loop. Even though we wouldn't be visiting Wall Street on this visit you can see, from the terrain we'd be entering, that we weren't feeling cheated from a scenery standpoint in the least...

Thor's Hammer -- 7,840'

The first major formation the trail passed is one of Bryce Canyon's most famous...Thor's Hammer. This iconic hoodoo stands around 150-feet tall and literally stands apart from the other spires surrounding it making it a very unique sight...

Thor's Hammer -- 7,840'

The panorama from the trail as it passes Thor's Hammer (center)...

Navajo Loop Trail -- 7,840'

The rock walls surrounding us then closed in tight and the trail steepened following an amazing series of tightly wound switchbacks into the shadowy canyon below...

Navajo Loop Trail -- 7,800'

Adding to the strange beauty surrounding us was the small stand of stately Douglas Fir growing in the lower part of the canyon. Despite their seemingly desolate location these trees are impressively old, the largest likely in excess of 500-years of age...

Navajo Loop Trail -- 7,720'

Looking back up you can see the steepness of the canyon we had just descended...

Navajo Loop Trail -- 7,680'

Reaching the bottom the rock walls surrounding us squeezed in to a point where even the trail had to narrow to pass through...

Two Bridges -- 7,680'

A short spur trail broke left from the main path as we exited the canyon and led up to a couple semi-hidden arch formation known as the Twin Bridges...

Navajo Loop Trail -- 7,600'

As we exited the canyon the cliffs the trail now began to follow the lower edge of the cliffs along the edge of the forest...

Navajo Loop Trail -- 7,550'

Looking uphill, rock spires still rose through the trees above us...

Navajo Loop Trail -- 7,520'

Some of the most amazingly unusual surroundings I've ever found myself in...

Navajo Loop-Queen's Garden Trail Junction -- 7,490'

About a mile in we came to the split where the Navajo Loop continues towards Wall Street from below while the Queen's Garden Trail doubles back to the left. We'd be continuing on the Queen's Garden Trail...

Navajo Loop-Queen's Garden Trail Junction -- 7,490'

Making the left turn onto the Queen's Garden Trail...

Queen's Garden Trail -- 7,460'

For the next half mile or so the trail flattens out considerably, passing through a more forested landscape...

Queen's Garden Trail -- 7,460'

Looking back across the valley of Bryce Creek. Above and beyond is, I believe, the formation known as 'The Cathedral'...

Queen's Garden Trail -- 7,440'

Climbing gently through a forest of pine and fir...

Queen's Garden Trail -- 7,420'

A break in the trees provided a limited view of the hills to the east of the park...

Queen's Garden Trail -- 7,420'

Looking across the valley of Bryce Creek once again, to the ledges south of us...

Queen's Garden Trail -- 7,440'

Making a slight turn back towards the cliffs...

Queen's Garden Trail -- 7,450'

To our north was the magnificent landscape we'd soon be entering...

Queen's Garden Trail -- 7,480'

Blue's, greens, and oranges...

Queen's Garden Trail -- 7,500'

Stately firs surround us as we neared the Queen's Garden area...

Queen's Garden Trail -- 7,520'

Orange spires above glow in the morning sun...

Queen's Garden Trail -- 7,520'

A huge pinnacle of rock competes for attention with the stately trees surrounding it...

Golden-mantled Ground-squirrel

This friendly little guy seemed quite unfazed by us as we walked past his rocky home...

Queen's Garden Trail -- 7,530'

Climbing back among the rocks...

Queen's Garden Trail -- 7,560'

Erosion is an ongoing force shaping the terrain at Bryce Canyon. Infrequent though rains are here, they can still quickly change the face of the fragile formations here. Fine gravel covers the slopes here, washed from the pinnacles above...

Queen's Garden Trail -- 7,620'

Things got a bit more interesting in a hurry as the trail suddenly turned to cut directly through a large cliff...

Queen's Garden Trail -- 7,600'

Entering the Queen's Garden...

Queen's Garden Trail-Queen Victoria Spur Junction -- 7,600'

A short spur trail leaves the main path here to head into the majestic interior of the Queen's Garden. For reasons I can't explain, after consulting the map, we failed to make the short trek up this spur...

Queen's Garden Trail -- 7,600'

A majestic cathedral of stone rises above us...

Queen's Garden Trail -- 7,600'

Looking back at the trail as it winds beneath the Queen's Garden...

Queen's Garden Trail -- 7,610'

Climbing among the pillars...

Queen's Garden Trail -- 7,610'

Looking back from where we just climbed with Bryce Point (8,355') rising in the distance...

Queen's Garden Trail -- 7,600'

Peering between the rocks...

Queen's Garden Trail -- 7,600'

Where the trail can't get around the cliffs it actually tunnels through them...